Ferris State University students gain valuable work experience through internships.
Internships also can confirm or redirect career decision-making, provide marketability,
develop people skills and enhance classroom learning. Many academic programs require
one, but the experience is encouraged regardless to provide students with a better
understanding of what will be expected of them in the workplace.

Many students are participating in myriad internships this summer. Meet:

Chad Ruthig

He is: A junior from Chesaning, Mich, majoring in Professional Tennis Management

Internship: Chad is a tennis pro for 30A Tennis in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. His 12-week internship
is paid.

What he’s learning: Chad’s responsibilities include court maintenance, working in the pro shop, running
tennis clinics for children and adults, stringing racquets and giving private lessons.

“I love working individually with any type of player, whether he or she is an advanced
or beginning player,” he said. “When I can help my student learn more about the game
that I love and watch them have fun at the same time, I realize how much I love my
job.”

Something cool: While taking every advantage to learn new things from his experienced co-workers,
Chad also enjoys the challenges that come with running children’s clinics.

“I have a lot of responsibility running a kid’s clinic all by myself, which isn’t
easy, but at the same time it allows me to become a much better teacher,” said Chad,
who noted that living on the Gulf of Mexico is a perk that allows for beach time when
he’s not working.

On campus: Chad is a member of the Professional Tennis Management Student Association and plays
Club Tennis. He completed an internship last summer as a pro at Ferris’ tennis camps
and also gained practical experience through an ongoing internship at Ferris’ Racquet
and Fitness Center, which is a requirement for the bachelor’s degree program.

That involvement has “greatly helped me with hands on experience of what the tennis
industry is like,” Chad said. “My PTR (Professional Tennis Registry) certifications and workshops I’ve been through
at Ferris gave me the experience I needed to get this job. This internship has definitely
helped confirm my career choice and pushes me to work harder so I can one day be in
a position where I’m hiring interns like myself.”

His plan: After he graduates in the spring of 2015, Chad hopes to teach at a resort or country
club and eventually work his way up to become a director of tennis.